"I'm not calling you a liar, but don't lie to me" -Florence + The Machine

The end is nearing. I mean, it's less than three months away. Graduation. That said, I have a terrible case of senioritist. Finishing assignments, hell even starting them is an accomplishment. I have found that having a new musician/band to listen to helps motivate me. Recently, I purchased Florence + the Machine's album "Lungs," and I haven't gotten tired of it yet.

I first found Florence when I got the soundtrack to one of the Twilight movies. Sidenote: Even though the movies are lacking, the music is not. The soundtracks from the Twilight movies are rockin'. Anyways, on the soundtrack Florence + the Machine bring their A-game with "Heavy In Your Arms." By using their bass and drumbeats, you can easily picture heavy footsteps. Florence is able to get the pain and anguish found in the lyrics through to the listener. Needless to say, I wanted "Lungs" after hearing that one track.

Finally, two weeks ago I got paid, hopped in the car with my partner in crime, went to Cartersville to the Target and purchased the CD (We also made a trip to the Goodwill. It was awesome, but that's no surprise). Once we got back to our apartment, Florence + the Machine found their home on my iPod.

I like to think of music, and especially CDs/albums, as a journey. Florence fulfills this expectation more than I thought they would. At first, you are thrown into the exciting "Dog Days are Over".  It's light and floaty which makes you want more. From here, you move to a whimsical sounding area that reminds me of the feeling of falling in love. One of my favorite songs on the album is "I'm Not Calling You a Liar." It gives a voice to those of us who are cautious in love. After a few more tracks, I found my favorite song of the album "Cosmic Love." In this song, Florence + the Machine portray the struggle of being blinded by love. With the powerful rhythmic section and the fanciful strings, a tension builds throughout the song. It reminds me of having to find the balance between what is really there and what can be hard to see. The end of the album is hopeful. Ending with the song "You've Got the Love" leaves me with a smile. It makes me think of all the people in my life that hold me up when I want to fall. Not only that, it makes me think the big guy in the sky. Regardless of who I think about when listening to this song, I definitely feel better after hearing it.

As you can probably tell, I don't really skip any songs when listening to Florence on the handy-dandy iPod. However, one that I do skip every now and then is "Kiss With a Fist". Don't get me wrong, I like the song, but the lyrics are, well, interesting? I don't know how to put it, but I just rather not rock to that song in my car with the windows down. Yet, that doesn't take away the fact that without Florence + the Machine several papers would not have found themselves completed in my professors hands.

Do I think Florence + the Machine is lovely?

Umm. Yep.

4 out of 5 roses.

WARNING: You're gonna want some food after reading this.

Holy crap. A Christmas miracle has happened - two post in one week. Hellz yeah. I thought that today I would blog about my journey of giving up certain meats (everything but fish).

As of today I have been somewhat meat free for seven months and 15 days. No, I am not counting down until I can have a chicken sandwich from a well-known fast food restaurant. I can say that I have become a master of cooking pasta, rice and egg salad. Soon you will be mine chicken sandwich.

Luckily, I haven't had to deal with too many cravings. They mostly happen when I am stressed. For instance, the last time I wanted a juicy hamburger was the week before finals. It could easily be said that that week was the worst of the semester for me academically. I really didn't each much because I didn't have time to stop and cook. It was so tempting to go to Zaxby's or Micky D's and pick something up. Really it wasn't the temptation of meat, but the attractiveness of the quickness and ease of fast food. However, during that week I did get some fries from Micky D's; they were heavenly.

This leads me to the next point. I have actually spent less money since starting this. Normally, I would eat out at least three or four times a week...if not more. I do go to the grocery store and drop some money, but that usually once every two weeks. The only place I tend to go out to eat often in Rome is Panera. That place is one of my many guilty pleasures. My Panera card gets a lot of use.

Tomato sandwiches are awesome. One of my many discoveries.

As far as trying new foods, this has worked. I have enjoyed finding the deliciousness of certain fish, tomatoes and dare I say it, some types of onions. *gasp* (Onions are something that I have always hated) I have also learned how to cook a lot of things like shrimp and ravioli. I know that I would not have been able to do this if I could not eat fish. Even when I started this crazy experiment, I was not a fan of fish. In that regard, my mind has changed.

Don't get me wrong. This has been great, but there are certain things that I miss.

I miss hot dogs the most. Ironic. I know.

I'm glad there has not been a need for chicken noodle soup. I don't know what I would do.


London Broil is something that is hard to watch others eat.

Being a southern lady, fried chicken is something that test my discipline.

On June 1st 2011 I will be enjoying a little bit of meat. I know that my eating habits have changed. There are certain moments when I can't wait to get my hands on a burger and there are others where I lose my apatite thinking about meat. June 1st 2011 isn't the end of this journey, but merely a turning point. I look forward to it.

4 out of 5 roses.

"Where is your backbone?" -There for tomorrow

I suck. No really. I do. I suck terribly at keeping up a blog. I'm not even going to make some stupid excuses like "I was busy" or "Life happened." Nope. Nada. Not here. Instead, I'm gonna jump right in on this thing.

Fall semester senior year in one word: Experience.

(I would have picked life lessons, added a hyphen and BAYAM. one word. But that's cheating...)

I learned a lot.

Not only did I learn things from my 18 hours of classes, but from certain experiences. Through the experience of getting my toes wet in the "real" world, I learned to not underestimate myself. I do this more than I should especially in the getting a job frame of mind. In November I attended a job fair which was all about sports where I gleamed two job offers. I was shocked. Sports is not an area that I had seen myself working in; however, that's changed.

The job market is like the life of a dino: eat or be eaten.

Move. I learned what this word truly means. Through all of my trouble this semester I learned that I have the ability to keep moving even when I feel like crumbling to the ground. Even though pain and sorrow suck, they showed me that I am truly my strongest when I feel like I am the weakest. Realizing that is priceless. It makes me thankful for my experiences this semester.

I lost a lot.

The source of my anguish this semester was of my own doing. I broke up with my then boyfriend of 2.5 years. That was one of, if not, the hardest things I've done in my life. I don't regret it. I know in my heart, soul and spirit that I made the right decision at that moment. By doing that, I lost one of my best friends. I lost a piece of my identity.

I gained a lot.

However, when I broke-up with him I gained something back. I gained the ability to focus on myself. The ability to give myself what I need: time. I need time to prepare myself for these traumatic things called "graduation/real world/omg what are bills?" moments. I gained the true realization that only I know what is best for me. I was able to prove to myself that I am becoming a full fledged adult.

Thanks to my lovely roomies for dealing with my depressing/moody/throwing shoes self this semester.

Yeah, saying this semester sucked could be the understatement of the year. I know that it was the worst in my college career thus far. However, it could also be said the be semester that forced me to grow up some. It might just be the semester that gave me the courage, the strength and the patience to not be afraid to go against others expectations.

I'm torn in rating this semester. Pain says give it negative roses. Wisdom says give it five. Compromise is key.

Three roses.

"It's so FLUFFY!" - Despicable Me

Oh, geez. I really don't have an excuse for being lame and not posting. I have like a bazillion things that I need to review. But I've been in a nasty funk for a bit, as evidence of my last post. However, due to this movie and other recent developments in my tiny piece of the world - I'm back!

I have been looking forward to seeing Despicable Me ever since I saw the first trailer. I thought the little yellow things in overalls were super cute. The little kids in it were pretty funny. Most importantly, though, Steve Carell did the voice for the main character. I defiantly was not disappointed.

First off, the movie begins in Egypt at the pyramids following this little boy and his family while they are on a tour. I really had no idea where or what this had to do with the film. That was, until the little boy escapes for his leash (yes, I mean leash) and through a series of events ends up falling onto the pyramid....and bounces back. I soon found out that the pyramid had been stolen and replaced by a blow-up.

Victor aka Vector is Gru's nemesis.

After that you meet Gru (Steve Carell) who is a villain. In order to upstage the stolen pyramid scheme, he, Dr.Nefario (Russel Brand) and the minions plan on taking the moon. From this point the scheming begins which includes Cookiebots, rockets and three little girls.

Edith, Gru, Agnes and Margo (l-r) bond at a theme park.

This movie rocked. The jokes, delivery of lines and the actions of the little minions is a winning combination. There is butt humor thrown in with deeper, darker humor also. There are moments when you will be laughing so hard, others where you will be teary-eyed and some when you just have to say "aww."

I saw the movie in 2D which was good, but if you can see it in 3D, do it. It defiantly has parts that are made just for 3Dness (especially during the credits ;).

Do I recommend spending some time in the world of Gru, Margo, Edith and Agnes?

You better believe it!

5 out of 5 roses.

"It's too hot to handle" -Cruel Summer

I need this.
>>>>>>>>>>
Originally, I had about 8 paragraphs written about how life is bringing me down at the moment. I had typed about how my time is consumed with school or nothing at all. I started to comment about how hard a long distance relationship is. Deviling deeper, I was brought to think about how my life really isn't how I pictured it when I first began college or, hell, this past school year.

Then I remembered.

It's ok.

It's ok to be down. I can grieve for what could have been. Being angry is not a sin. But more importantly, it's ok, because everything will work out.

Yeah, I might not be where I think I need to be. Things can be falling apart and completely out of control, but God has a plan for me. He knows what I need, and He will deliver. I can be frustrated at not understanding what the hell He has planned. Yet, being frustrated and not having faith are two totally different things.

I have faith that He will take care of me. God will not leave me out to dry whether it's about a summer class or relationships or my future career. But sometimes it's hard to know when or what I should do.

"Oh God, why do you make it so hard?! Why do I feel rotten?," is something that I have found myself crying out lately.

Even though He's already given me the answer (to trust in Him), it doesn't make life a walk in the park all the time. Through it all, I try to remember.

It's ok.

hagandaaz.

"Ever since the accident she did both - laugh and cry - at unexpected moments." - A Soft Place to Land

This past weekend I embarked on an adventure. I flew up to Baltimore, Maryland to visit my boyfriend. It was not the first time I flew nor was it the longest flight I have ever been on (flying to Japan takes the cake), but it was the first time I flew all by my lonesome. I was a bit nervous, but I was even more nervous about sitting in between two strangers.

In order to calm my nerves, I bought a book. Buying books always brings a soothing feeling for me. This time I picked up A Soft Place to Land by Susan Rebecca White. Little did I realize that this book was not the best choice to read while flying in a plane.

Right from the very start, I was introduced to Naomi and Phil Harrison. They are a couple who have two daughters, Julia, Phil's stepdaughter, and Ruthie. In the prologue, Julia and Ruthie recount how their parents died in the Spring of 1993. Ruthie was in seventh grade and Julia was a sophomore in high school. Quickly, I discovered that Naomi and Phil were killed in a plane crash.

"Great," I thought to myself. "I'm about to board a plane, and I'm reading about how people died in a plane crash."

Atlanta, Ga. is the home of Julia, Ruthie and myself.

I made it through the prologue while sitting in the plane on the runway for a rain delay. While waiting, I started to read about what happened to the sisters after their parents slipped away from them. Before I knew it, I was sucked into the life of Ruthie: how she was forced to leave her life behind in Atlanta and start anew in San Francisco, how her relationship with her sister was influenced by outside forces and how the death of her parents continued to haunt her. The one constant in Ruthie's life is her sister.

Soon the story moves from Atlanta to San Francisco.

Even though she becomes somewhat bitter towards Ruthie, Julia is always Ruthie's big sister. She tries to protect Ruthie from blows life has thrown their way. Through her protectiveness, Julia ends up hurting Ruthie. And Ruthie, in turn, hurts Julia by blaming her for their parents deaths. However, throughout reading the book I couldn't help but think about a saying that I learned early on.

I don't know how many times I have heard the saying, "You can't pick your family, but you can pick your friends." My mom was fond of saying this to me when I was younger. She would use it for when I would have problems with friends or when I would fight with my younger brother. It's true. No matter what, I know that my family is going to be there. For me, I will be forever linked to my brother. Ruthie and Julia are also forever linked together; they have their disagreements, but in the end their sister is there for the other one.

Myself and Nick, my younger brother, at a Braves game!

I enjoyed the book. The beginning and middle were full of colorful characters, experiences and memories from Ruthie. Yet, the ending is lacking. I found myself wanting to know more about a certain discover and how several things played out. But I understand why the author ended the way she did. I had traveled with Ruthie and Julia from 1993 to the present day. They didn't know how these things turned out, so I wouldn't either.

Overall, I was left with a greater appreciation for my family. I know that we will continue to have our disagreements, and push each others buttons. Yet, through it all, I can always be sure that my brother will have my back and be there when I need him the most no matter how far the distance.

Do I think you read this novel, then call your sibling (or closest person to it) and tell them you love them?

I think so.

4 out of 5 roses.

"Girl, where did you find that?" - Woman at Goodwill

As a college student I am forced to find cheap entertainment. Often I relish being able to go visit a state park for $3 or renting a movie for around $5. However, I absolutely positively enjoy going to thrift shops and browsing. Today myself and my partner in crime, Maygen, went to some of our favorite haunts - the Goodwill's in our hometowns.

Our goal for the day was to search for items to go in our "apartment" at Berry. In the end, we each found something that we plan to use in our homey space. I found these wonderful plates that appear unbreakable. Maegan discovered this red teapot along with six matching cups. We were able to quickly establish that these too are resistant to our touch (Maeghanne dropped one in the Goodwill ). Yet, we stumbled across these items, because we combed the store including the clothes, toys and pictures.

Maigeen with part of her lovely tea set.

Thrift shops and places like Goodwill or the Salvation Army never cease to amaze me. Because of them, people are able to embrace one of the 3 R's: reduce, REUSE and recycle. By receiving donations from people in the community they serve, these places reuse pretty much everything. I have not found a better example of turning someones trash into another's treasure. They have become the means of how a community takes care of its own.

I am also drawn to these establishments because of the people. The people who work there, the ones who shop and the individuals who donate. You never know what or who you are going to bump into at the Goodwill. Just today Megan and I "ran into" some people she new at her local Goodwill. We also had several conversations with people about what they were looking for, what we had at the time or some sparkly shoes. At these places, people are not snobs. Weird, maybe. But what they truly are is a community.

Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't go to these places. I have more than I need. In fact, I have to clean out my closet a lot. Often I combat the feeling that I am taking something away from someone who truly needs it. Then I look at my dinosaur cookie jar or my other new purchase (seen below) and those thoughts fly out the window. Honestly, who buy these things other than me?

The newest member of my Goodwill treasures.

Goodwills and other establishments like them are treasure troves. Not only of the material kind, but of the person kind.

Do I recommend going to the Goodwill, playing dress-up, digging through a bunch of crap to find that one item that calls to you, and making sure that you race a dump truck there?

Do I even have to answer that question? I think it's kind of obvious.

5 out 5 roses.

Below are several finds from our day at the Goodwills. They pretty much rocked our socks.

You can even buy hair there! I defintaly saw Meegan eyeing this peice.

These gloves were the apple of several people's eye (hence the title of this entry).

According to Maygean, she needs more feathers in her wardrobe. I agree.




The dress that reduces your breast size.

The dress that got away. My one regret is I didn't buy it :(

Pretty in Pink!

I should have gotten this one too. Oh well, there's always next time.

I can only hope this was a bridesmaid's dress.

This. Dress. Is. Awesome. Period.

The granny look.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

On another note, sorry for not posting recently. I was on vaykay with my family, and I will soon be flying to Merryland at the end of this week. I hope to have another review up by next Monday at the latest.